In a Pinch

Dave Hansen arrives at Dodger Stadium after the freeway-congested drive from his home in San Clemente and does what he always does: Checks for fan mail, greets teammates and clubhouse attendants, and looks for his name in Manager Davey Johnson’s starting lineup.

Usually, his name is not there.

But Hansen might still get in the game, especially if the score is close. For he is often the first player Johnson brings off the bench to bat from the seventh inning on.

Hansen, the Dodgers’ leading pinch-hitter, is batting .344, with 11 hits, three runs batted in and a home run in 31 pinch-hit at-bats this season.

As a pinch-hitter, his job is to put the ball in play. A grounder that moves along a runner is fine. A sacrifice fly that drives in a run is better. A base hit is best. But make something happen.

Hansen has flourished in the role throughout most of his major league career. He started with the Dodgers in 1990, toiled for the Chicago Cubs in ’97 and played in Japan last season. He has 74 career pinch-hits as a Dodger, second only to Manny Mota’s team-record 106.

For his career, Hansen is 84 for 261 (.322) as a pinch-hitter. He also holds the Dodgers’ single-season record with 18 pinch-hits in 1993.

“I see the role as a person who comes off the bench to keep the lineup from dipping in that spot,” Hansen said, “and you have to be ready for that.

“There is more to my role, I guess, because I’m not strictly a pinch-hitter. I have to be ready for any aspect of the game, but certainly pinch-hitting is a big part of it.”

It’s a role Hansen accepts, even embraces, but it’s not one he wants to define his career. He occasionally gets a start at third or first base and he still thinks of himself as an everyday player.

“[Not starting] does fuel me a little bit,” Hansen said. “I’d love to be out there every day. If you don’t feel that way, you shouldn’t be out there at all.

“Of course, pinch-hitting and starting the game are two different mentalities. You can’t cram four at-bats into one when you’re pinch-hitting, so you have to be more aggressive with that one at-bat.”

Born in Long Beach, Hansen graduated from Rowland Heights Rowland High in 1986. Drafted by the Dodgers in the second round, Hansen toiled in the minors for five seasons before making his Dodger debut as--what else--a pinch-hitter in September 1990.

But he had difficulty cracking the Dodgers’ starting lineup. The most games he played in one season was 132 in 1992, when he hit only .214 with six home runs and 22 RBIs.

Hansen left the Dodgers in 1997, signing as a free agent with the Cubs. He batted .311 for Chicago with 10 pinch-hits in 35 at-bats.

Last year, Hansen was with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, where he batted .253 in 121 games. He returned to the Dodgers this spring, signing a one-year, $450,000 contract. He lives with his wife Julie and their two daughters in San Clemente.

Hansen’s job is a little different these days, what with the proliferation of bullpen specialists.

When Mota--the major league record-holder with 150 pinch-hits--and other off-the-bench legends such as Smoky Burgess, Jose Morales, Rusty Staub and Gates Brown were called upon, there was still the chance they would face a starting pitcher who was tiring.

Now, however, baseball is more complicated than that. Managers deal with specific matchups, sending some left-handed relievers in to face only left-handed hitters. Many relievers work only a designated inning, and only long relievers are expected to go through an opponent’s lineup more than once.

None of that, however, changes Hansen’s basic preparation. He watches the game closely from the bench, studying the opponent’s starter for pitching patterns. If it appears he may be called upon, he starts loosening up by sprinting down the clubhouse hallway and taking swings in the team’s indoor batting cage.

Hansen also takes a peek at the opponent’s relief pitchers on videotape. But he said the most important things he can bring to the plate are confidence and a positive attitude.

“You have to have the confidence that you can get it done,” Hansen said. “When you step into the box, you’re not thinking about “situations,” but about just seeing the ball and putting a good swing on it. You can’t control the game, you can’t control who they are going to bring in. You can only control your thoughts and your swing. That’s it.

“I was pretty fortunate to play with some guys who were pretty good at it. Manny Mota was the best and he keeps things very simple. Mickey Hatcher was very good at the role. So was Mitch Webster. [They] were always positive.”

Dodger batting coach Rick Down said Hansen’s even temperament and level of experience make him an ideal pinch-hitter.

“He has a lot of confidence in his ability,” Down said, “and that allows him to perform like he does. He’s accepted the fact the team comes first and he sees the team being more important than himself.”

Mota, who played 20 seasons with Montreal, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and San Francisco before retiring in 1982, is rooting for Hansen.

“If I’d want to see anybody break the record, it would be David,” said Mota, who is still with the Dodgers. He works with the team’s Latin players and charts opponents’ hitting and pitching.

“I think he is one of the great pinch-hitters in history,” Mota said of Hansen. “He has a good idea, a good approach and a lot of knowledge of the strike zone. He’s very patient. And he will put the ball in play. He knows how to approach situational hitting.”

Hansen hopes he can be around long enough to break Mota’s mark.

“I would like to play as long as possible, no doubt about it,” he said. “I enjoy coming to the park. If I still have that feeling, and they keep having me back, then why not.”